The missile salvo comes after nearly 80 people, including senior military officials, were killed while over 300 were wounded in Iran a day ago as a result of Israel’s strikes, according to the country’s UN envoy Saeed Iravani.
In the morning, Iran launched a fresh wave of attacks, state media said, after Israel’s military reported it detected inbound missiles from Tehran.
A senior Iranian military official, General Ahmad Vahidi, said “Operation True Promise 3” — as the retaliatory strikes are dubbed — will continue for as long as necessary“, according to Iranian state media IRNA.
Air raid sirens and explosions rang out across Israel overnight, with its military calling on residents to take refuge in bomb shelters in the morning.
The Israeli military said dozens of missiles — some intercepted — had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran.
Smoke was billowing above skyscrapers in downtown Tel Aviv, an AFP journalist reported, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had attacked dozens of targets in Israel.
Israel’s firefighting service said its teams were responding to the aftermath of Iranian missile strikes, including working to rescue people trapped in a high-rise building.
Rescuers said 34 people had been wounded in the Gush Dan area, including a woman who later died of her injuries, according to Israeli media reports.
Resident Chen Gabizon told AFP he ran to an underground shelter after receiving an alert notification.
“After a few minutes, we just heard a very big explosion, everything was shaking, smoke, dust, everything was all over the place,” he said.
In Tehran earlier today, fire and heavy smoke billowed from Mehrabad airport, an AFP journalist said, as local media reported a blast in the area.
Iran said earlier it had activated its air-defence system and explosions could be heard across the capital.
Dozens of people took to the streets of Tehran overnight to cheer their country’s military response, with some waving national flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN said on Friday that 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of strikes by Israel.